As workplace learning and performance professionals, it’s important that my colleagues and I ask this question of ourselves before we fall asleep each night:

What did you learn today?

This morning, I learned more about the power of online social networking, that is, where I first meet a person online through a blog, Twitter, LinkedIn, or some other cyberplace on the Internet, and then I have the good fortune to meet them in person to further develop that relationship.

After that, we go back to reinforcing our new relationship in cyberspace, hoping to meet in person again one day.

Sometimes we get that chance, and sometimes we don’t, yet we continue as colleagues and friends in cyberspace.

Today, I learned that my very favorite blogger in the whole world left it yesterday afternoon, after a long, wonderful journey on this planet. I suspected that something was very wrong when she hadn’t written since May 8th, and was fearing the inevitable. This morning, I found out that she had died from a post on her daughter’s blog.

The tears streaming down my cheeks for this blogger are just as intense as those for someone I know in person and see frequently.

I am grieving, feeling the loss, and I will miss GrannyJ more than I can express.

RIP GrannyJ, 1927-2010

Julie Woodman and her husband retired from Chicago to the mountains of northern Arizona, to the quaint town of Prescott. Under the moniker of GrannyJ, she wrote the Walking Prescott blog. I found her blog when my sister moved to Prescott a few years ago. GrannyJ’s blog is filled with beautiful photos of the area and a treasure trove of historical knowledge.

She was a retired journalist, and blogging kept her writing and reporting on life to a cyberspace audience that literally spanned the world. Quietly, she gained an international audience.

A very intelligent, witty, and warm blogger in her 80s, I asked GrannyJ if my husband and I could meet her and treat her to lunch on our next visit to Prescott. She said she’d be delighted. We met at The Raven Cafe, and now I wish I had written down what we talked about together so I could treasure the memory of that visit again.

After that F2F visit, she added me to her e-mail distribution list. Whenever I saw her name pop up in my Inbox, I rushed to open her messages. She would send out links to the most amazing articles and Web sites. She was our teacher, and we her very eager students.

Julie created a cyberlife filled with cyberrelationships that were genuine, that mattered. As she was able, she frequently met in person with the people she first met online. I hope that I’m filled with her love of life when I’m in my 80s.

There’s so much more I could say, but I can’t see what I’m typing due to the tears blurring my vision. So, I’ll end this with a brief tribute.

Thank You, GrannyJ

Julie, thank you so much for sharing yourself and your family with your cyberfriends. You broadened my horizons and my knowledge in countless ways, you were my teacher, and you invited me into friendship.

I love you and thank you.

And, I will miss you more than words can express.

I lift my coffee cup high in tribute to you!

~Anon in AV.

I stopped blogging because I got busy. Mid-August, I launched my own business, my sole proprietorship, freelance, independent consulting business. Yes, I joined the work-at-home, bunny-slipper-brigade, telecommuter, virtual worker workforce!

My blog nagged at me several times a week… for months. Funny how an inanimate, cyberspace tool can do that. However, this past week, I discovered that I’m not alone in neglecting my blog. What a relief! Both Debora Gallo (of eBites) and Lee LeFever (of Common Craft) published posts that describe their own blog neglect. It’s nice to find out I’m in good company. Take a moment to read their musings:

Debora Gallo, “It’s Not Just Me”

http://ebites.wordpress.com/2008/11/19/its-not-just-me/

Lee LeFever, “Why I stopped Reading Blogs (for awhile)”

http://www.commoncraft.com/why-i-stopped-reading-blogs-while

My situation wasn’t so much not reading other’s blog posts as it was getting used to running my own business. I had two clients keeping me busy, an attorney to chat with, and a CPA coaching me through tax consequences. I attended workshops and continued to network, marketing my business so I could gain clients for 2009. On top of that, of course, I continued to manage the home front, and use my virtual worker status to help a family member with some personal issues.

Things are falling comfortably into a routine, now, and I still value writing for my blog. I see the need to create a blogging schedule and stick to it. The blogosphere gives us a great cybervenue for the sharing of ideas, and I hope to give you something of value and encourage conversation and collaboration.

Freelancing and the Economy

While I was busy not blogging, some people have said to me, “Wow, Jenise, what a time for you to go freelance… in this economy!” Although I’ve been planning and preparing for this business move for about a year, I had no control over anything when I pulled the trigger. It’s difficult enough to time the stock market if you want to buy-sell stocks, let alone choose when you’re going to “go for it” and pursue your dreams.

Family and I are frugal, cautious, and seek wise council from others, including our Higher Power. But, sometimes you just gotta go for it. Otherwise, you’re still on the sidelines watching the game instead of playing in the game and running for goals or touchdowns.

Again, I found that I’m not alone. Bob Younce writes on “The Writing Journey” blog, and his post on freelancing in this economy is a great read.

Bob Younce, “Writing Your Way Out of a Recession”

http://writing-journey.com/internet-writing/writing-your-way-out-of-a-recession

So, that’s where I’ve been instead of blogging. I’ve been learning, networking, designing, developing, and having a great time!

As for the economy, it’s one day at a time for me. Let’s all do what we can for today, plan for tomorrow, but focus on what’s in front of us today. Despite the news, I do encourage you to pursue your dreams. You’ll need to plan, set aside contingency funds in a savings account, and plan…plan…plan.

I look forward to you joining the game from the sidelines, and writing about your experiences in your own blog!

Together, you and I will be “Always Learning” about business and making dreams come true!

For a few weeks, I left the previous post “first-page visible” for my nephew and his colleagues in his school district. And, while they checked out those wonderful online resources, I had time to contemplate my blogging navel.

“Always Learning”, I realized that a dilemma diligently dogged my approach to this blog:

The “Content vs. Design Dilemma”.

Intrigued by the opportunity to improve my CSS skills and learn PHP, I neglected content. Now, inside my WordPress Admin panel rest over 20 unpublished drafts of blog posts!

Sheesh.

So, I’m returning to content, and I’m excited about that! I mean, what’s a blog without content? Design still awaits me as a project, and I look forward to changing the look of this blog. Plus, I need to update to WordPress 2.5.1, and plan to do that this weekend.

However, beginning today, my focus is on content, first, then design.

Yes, I’m “Always Learning!”

http://zaidlearn.blogspot.com/2008/04/free-learning-tool-for-every-learning.html

Zaid Ali Algasoff put together a long and very helpful list for budget-conscious public-school instructors. Um, that includes 99.9% of them! (I taught in a Community College district for three years, and know that funds come out of a public instructor’s pocket if they really want to engage their students).

Zaid compiled a list of 137 free resources, the Web 2.0 variety, that teachers can use.

Go for it, nephew! That free Web site you asked me to review is fine (the SnapFish photo galleries are awesome!), but check out:

Edublogs at http://edublogs.org/

More and more, I’m seeing people use blogs to blog and to be their Web site/CMS (content management system, including photos, homework assignments, items for parents, etc.). A blog isn’t just a blog anymore.

It doesn’t matter what grade level you’re currently teaching. You can set up your blog to “go with you” as you advance in the career that you love!

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment.

I’m so proud of you!

~Aunt Jenise.

The video below is by VendAsta and NoMoreDoorKnocking (view their blog) up in Canada. It reminds us all to create trustworthy social networking Profiles when we describe ourselves. And, to “trust but verify” when we add contacts to grow our professional networks.

Embedding a YouTube.com Video
How did I embed this video on my post? The screen shot below from the WP.org Codex FAQ page tells us all how:

Hat Tip on the video to Jay Thompson via his PhoenixRealEstateGuy.com blog.